were

¹ American  

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

verb

1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

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we're ² American  

[weer] / wɪər /

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

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were ¹ British  

/ wɜː, wə /

verb

1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

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we're ² British  

/ wɪə /

contraction

1. we are

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Grammar

See subjunctive.

Usage

See contraction.

Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English, is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses ( if he were to die, she would inherit everything ), suppositions contrary to fact ( if I were you, I would be careful ), and desire ( I wish he were there now ). In informal speech, however, was is often used instead

Etymology

Origin of were

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Example Sentences

“It was the same pitch both times — I think they were trying to surprise me on the second one,” said Gonzales, who had three homers in five games.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Caroline and Daniel were both mostly home-schooled, but the difference in their personalities is striking.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

During the 2021 ransomware attack on JBS Foods, meat processing operations stopped even though animals, workers, and facilities were all in place.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Glynneath and Abergavenny were the worst affected areas, with many hundreds off supply.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

“They had no idea what they were doing.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith